Originally posted by djbowen1
How do you build up your average speed. I do plenty of mileage so thats ok. When i go for training rides should i always be pushing? Puch really hard one day and then recover the next? Or train hard for a few days and then recover for 1 day? Will that help? How Can i get really good legs without joining a gym and doing weights? Are there any good trainig books? I have the lance training one but its not that great.
Pushing harder helps. You might try pushing in different ways.
You know ride as hard as you can for 3 minutes and then recover and repeat.
Another way to push is ride as hard as you can sustain for about 30 minutes.
Another thing to do is attack hills.
When you use a slightly different technique, you are building up a different component of conditioning.
Also another way to get stronger is just go out and put on miles without really thinking of riding hard. Quantity has a quality all its own.
And don't forget easy rides either. Easy rides are really a must for anyone in an intense training schedule. I guess they help people recover not only physically but emotionally. If you go out and always ride till it hurts, pretty soon the bike becomes an instrument of torture. And things go stale. Going out and relaxing and enjoying riding is vital for sustaining your interest and motivation.